Captain's Crush
by I Need A Catchy Username Help
Summary: Captain Archer has a thing for Lieutenant Emory Evans. Little does he know, she has a thing for him too... (Written as a high school freshman.)


**This was written by a younger me, around freshman year I think... Basically, I made an OC to help my other OC's family tree, who's a descendant of Archer.**

* * *

"Hey, Emory?" Trip called as the brown-haired lieutenant walked by. She was much shorter than him, standing at a hair over five foot six. The woman, Emory Evans, turned around to face her superior.

"Yeah?" she answered, walking over towards him and the warp core.

Trip Tucker and Emory Evans had been good friends ever since he tried flirting with her- and failed. Emory was a shyer girl, so Trip eventually settled for friends. He also realized she had social anxiety, and therefore never asked her to do public things unless absolute necessity.

"Can you take this up to the bridge for me?" Trip held out a PADD, with some report on it. She couldn't read it from where she was, and knew she probably shouldn't.

"The bridge?" Emory repeated. She also had social anxiety, and didn't want to screw up in front of the senior officers. She was known as the antisocial engineer who always avoided movie night. Trip had taken an interest in her, and he had become one of her closest friends.

"Yeah, it's for Captain Archer," Trip answered. "I'm a little busy right now."

"Captain Archer?" Emory had met the captain a few times through Trip, many of which she thought she made a fool of herself during. "Uh, can someone else do it?"

"Everyone else's kind of busy." Trip frowned, "It could wait..."

Emory sighed, fiddling with her fingernails. "I guess I can take it..."

"Are you sure? I don't want to cause any problems." Trip frowned, feelings bad.

"Yes." Emory smiled, and took the PADD from his hand. "I'll be okay."

Trip nodded. "Thanks."

Emory sighed and started heading towards the bridge. Anxiety was building up inside of her; what if she tripped or something? Was it okay for her to have a braid instead of the normal ponytail? Plus, she had a little crush on the captain. He was handsome to the thirty-five year old woman, despite the age gap.

 _Like he'd ever go for me,_ Emory thought. I'm just a lieutenant. He'd probably go for... _T'Pol or Hoshi or someone important. Someone he sees every day, one of the pretty girls that he sees every day._

Emory's anxiety only got worse as she stepped in the turbo lift. She walked onto the bridge, heading over to Archer's chair.

"Captain," she said in the loudest voice she could. She felt as if T'Pol was staring at her, Malcolm and Hoshi as well.

"Ah," Archer smiled. "Lieutenant Emory Evans?"

Emory nodded. "Yes, sir."

Emory could feel an anxiety attack coming on. She did the best she could to hide it, but ended up breathing quite heavily in front of Archer. She couldn't think; her head hurt and felt like the walls were closing in on her and she was losing oxygen. For some reason, she was scared. Not even she knew the reason, and that made her even more scared. Her head also hurt slightly, so she couldn't think.

Archer saw this, frowning. He could recognize an anxiety attack. "Come with me, Lieutenant."

Emory could barely walk, since she was trying to breathe and it was hard. Archer made sure she could walk to his ready room. Then he pulled a chair out for her, and she gratefully sat in it, staring at the floor.

"Emory," Archer said in a soothing voice. He didn't know her well, he just knew she was Trip's friend. "Emory, breathe."

"But it's hard," Emory replied through short breaths.

"Trust me," he replied softly. "Breathe with me, yeah?"

And so Emory tried to align her breathing with his. Archer pulled her hand gently to his chest, and within fifteen minutes, Emory's breathing had steadied out.

"Are you okay?" Archer asked softly, tilting her head up.

Emory nodded slowly. "Yes, sir."

"Alright." He sighed. "That's an awful thing to go through; I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I'm sorry for wasting your time," she muttered softly, looking down. She looked away from what she thought was a judgmental gaze.

Archer raised an eyebrow. Why would she be wasting his time? He thought she was beautiful, and that her anxiety attacks were just a part of her. A part of her that he would love if she would let him...

"Don't worry, Emory." He smiled. "My crew's health is more important than my duty. We've got to be fit.

She managed a small smile, and to look up.

Archer continued on, "Since we only have an hour or so left, take the rest of shift off, alright? And call me if you need anything."

Emory looked up into his sparkling green eyes. "Thank you, sir."

"One last thing- We're friends aren't we?" To her nod, he continued. "Call me Jonathan off duty or in private."

"Only if you call me Emory."

"It's a deal."

The next Monday, Emory was not having a good day. Maybe it was Monday, maybe it was something someone said, Archer didn't know. But he pulled her aside after shift, he had an idea.

"Where are we going?" she asked softly.

"My quarters," Archer simply stated, opening the door. Porthos was there, wagging his little tail.

Emory smiled, "He's cute!"

"Hey there," Archer said, bending down to pet the dog. Porthos eagerly licked Archer's hand and padded over to Emory.

"This is Emory Evans," Archer smiled. "Emory, meet Porthos."

Emory also bent down, smiling and letting the dog lick her face. "Oh! Hello, Porthos!"

Archer smiled at the chemistry between them. He could already tell Porthos loved Emory, and she loved him just as much. "I've got a shift until pretty late. Would you mind watching Porthos for me?"

This was the perfect de-stresser for Emory. She loved most animals, including dogs. Animals also gave people unconditional love, which would help with anxiety, or if Emory happened to be sad. Archer knew this, and wondered if Porthos could be like a therapy dog for her.

"Of course." Emory smiled, rubbing behind Porthos' ears.

Archer then gave her the instructions to feed him before smiling and leaving. No cheese, just regular dog food.

Emory spent the entire night with Porthos, forgetting to feed herself since she was too busy playing. She sat on Archer's bed, which has gotten a little messy- the dog has jumped on it and pushed her down. Emory did intend to make it back up, however, when Porthos jumped on the bed and went to sleep, Emory couldn't help herself but to lie with him.

Plus, he was begging her to. How could she resist his beautiful puppy eyes, and little pink tongue?

When Archer returned he was surprised Porthos wasn't running up to greet him like he normally did. He slowly entered, only to find Emory and Porthos sprawled out on his bed. He couldn't help but smile.

Emory stirred in her sleep and her eyes slowly opened, closed again and shot up. "Captain! I'm so sorry, I just dozed off for a minute and-"

Emory's heart was racing. What if he disowned her? Kicked her out? Or worse, kicked her off the ship? Irrational fears clouded her mind.

"Calm down." Archer chucked. "I'm not mad. Thank you for taking care of Porthos. He seems to love you."

Emory had started to straighten the bedsheets as best she could with a sleeping dog on them. "I'm still really sorry."

Archer smiled. "Number one, my name is Jonathan, since we aren't on duty. Number two, don't be. It seems Porthos was a good stress reliever, eh?"

Emory shyly nodded.

"Alright, then why don't you stay here?" Archer offered "In my quarters?"

"Tonight?" Emory raised a brow, one that would rival the Vulcans. She was surprised by the generous offer.

Archer shrugged. "Yeah. You and Porthos can take the bed, I have a couch."

"No, no." Emory shook her head. "I can't let you. That would be really rude of me and stuff..."

"Do I have to order you?" Archer smirked ever so slightly.

Emory chuckled softly. "No... no, I guess... if it's not too much trouble...?"

"Not any trouble at all."

A month later, Archer rushed to sickbay as fast as he could. Emory had been sent to a planet on an away mission. She had been hurt, but luckily, she had gotten back to Enterprise just in time.

In the month preceding the incident, Archer and Emory had become even better friends, ever since the night she took his bed with his dog. They hung out more and Archer had even gotten Emory to come to movie night. As long as they sat in the back, didn't watch a horror movie or draw attention to themselves she would go.

"Emory?" Archer asked softly, walking in. "How is she?"

"Over there," Phlox replied, pointing at the brunette with Trip. "She is expected to make a full recovery."

The only thing Archer heard as he walked over was "Tell him!" from Trip, and "No!" from Emory. He wondered what it was.

Emory looked up from her PADD. "Captain... Hey."

"Captain." Trip nodded, "I should get back to engineering. I was just checking in on her."

"Understood, Trip." Archer nodded and waited until the man walked away to ask, "Are you doing alright?"

"Pretty good, for someone who was shot." Emory chuckled, but regretted it. Archer seemed to move, but she couldn't be sure. "And you?"

"Better now that you're okay." Archer nodded. "I was worried about you."

Emory raised an eyebrow. "You were?"

Archer nodded. "Yes. You're my crew member and friend."

Emory was hoping to be more than friends. She nodded and smiled, "Yeah."

There was an awkward pause until Archer cleared his throat and asked, "Emory... would you want to join me in the Captain's Mess when Phlox lets you go?"

"As friends or a date?" Emory tilted her head.

Archer couldn't explain what he had just said. Impulse, he guessed. He loved this woman; maybe she loved him back. He loved her beautiful smile, the green eyes that shone and her love for Poethos that nearly matched his own.

"As a date." Archer smiled. He hoped she would reject him, but understood why she might- she may not want to be a "Starfleet widow" like the woman he once proposed to.

Emory looked surprised, but the look of confusion on her face soon turnedinto a smile. "Of course... Jonathan. I'd love to."

Archer smiled. "Alright. We can set a date once you're out, okay?"

Emory gave a nod of approval, "That sounds great."

The following week, the date was agreed upon. Archer made sure to look over Emory's file and find things that she would want to do. He had Chef make pizza, her favorite food, as they dined and talked the night away, before walking around with Porthos on the ship, before ending it the best way possible.

"I heard from Trip you've always wanted to sit in the captain's chair, eh, Ms. Evans?"

Emory blushed, "Well, he wasn't wrong. I've heard great things about this chair, Mr. Archer."

"Then be my guest." The man smiled and motioned to the empty chair.

Emory sat down, and smiled as she crossed her legs, looking over to Archer, who was leaning in. She did as well, and then smiled as they pulled apart.

The night was truly magical.

 **I'm sorry if the ending wasn't that great. I'll probably rewrite the date publish it. Blame freshman me! Let me know how freshman me wrote, and where I should make sure to improve. :)**


End file.
